Background: Recent evidence suggested levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), and AST/ALT ratio (De-Ritis ratio) were associated with a worse outcome after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, their value for predicting long-term prognosis remained unknown. Therefore, we investigated the prognostic potential of transaminases on patient outcome after AMI from a long-term perspective. Methods: Data of a large AMI registry including 1355 consecutive patients were analyzed. The Cox regression hazard analysis was used to assess the impact of transaminases and the De-Ritis ratio on long-term mortality. Results: The median De-Ritis ratio for the entire study population was 1.5 (interquartile range [IQR]: 1.0–2.6). After a median follow-up time of 8.6 years, we found that AST (crude hazard ratio (HR) of 1.19 per 1-SD [95% confidence interval (CI): 1 .09–1.32; p < 0.001]) and De-Ritis ratio (crude HR of 1.31 per 1-SD [95% CI: 1.18–1.44; p < 0.001]), but not ALT (p = 0.827), were significantly associated with long-term mortality after AMI. After adjustment for confounders independently, the De-Ritis ratio remained a strong and independent predictor for long-term mortality in the multivariate model with an adjusted HR of 1.23 per 1-SD (95% CI: 1.07–1.42; p = 0.004). Moreover, the De-Ritis ratio added prognostic value beyond N-terminal pro-B-Type Natriuretic Peptide, Troponin T, and Creatine Kinase. Conclusion: The De-Ritis ratio is a strong and independent predictor for long-term mortality after AMI. As a readily available biomarker in clinical routine, it might be used to identify patients at risk for fatal cardiovascular events and help to optimize secondary prevention strategies after AMI.

Background: Our study aims to perform a meta-analysis of benefits and risks associated with the use of non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOAC) versus vitamin K antagonists (VKA) in patients with a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with a particular focus on the combination type: dual vs. dual antithrombotic therapy (DAT: NOAC + single antiplatelet therapy (SAPT) vs. DAT: VKA + SAPT), dual vs. triple antithrombotic therapy (DAT: NOAC + SAPT vs. TAT: VKA + dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT)) or triple vs. triple antithrombotic therapy (TAT: NOAC+DAPT vs. TAT: VKA+DAPT). Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases were searched to identify randomized controlled trials comparing antithrombotic regimens. Four randomized studies (n = 10.969; PIONEER AF-PCI, RE-DUAL PCI, AUGUSTUS, and ENTRUST-AF PCI) were included. The primary outcome was the composite of major bleeding defined by the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis (ISTH) and clinically relevant bleeding requiring medical intervention (CRNM). Secondary outcomes included all-cause mortality, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and stent thrombosis (ST). Results: Combination strategies with NOACs were associated with reduced risk of major bleeding events across different combination strategies as compared to VKA, with the most significant risk reduction when DAT was compared with TAT, namely DAT with NOAC + SAPT was associated with a 37% relative risk reduction (RRR) of major bleeding events as compared to TAT with VKA + DAPT (RR 0.63; 95% CI, 0.50–0.80). The reduction of major bleeding risks is a class effect of NOACs. Combination strategies of NOACs vs. VKAs resulted in a comparable risk of MACE, MI, stroke, ST, or death. Conclusions: Antithrombotic combinations of NOACs (as DAT or TAT) are safer than VKAs with respect to bleeding risk and result in a satisfactory efficacy with no increase of ischemic or thrombotic events in patients undergoing PCI.

Percutaneous coronary interventions with stent-based restorations of vessel patency have become the gold standard in the treatment of acute coronary states. Bioresorbable vascular scaffolds (BVS) have been designed to combine the efficiency of drug-eluting stents (DES) at the time of implantation and the advantages of a lack of foreign body afterwards. Complete resolution of the scaffold was intended to enable the restoration of vasomotor function and reduce the risk of device thrombosis. While early reports demonstrated superiority of BVS over DES, larger-scale application and longer observation exposed major concerns about their use, including lower radial strength and higher risk of thrombosis resulting in higher rate of major adverse cardiac events. Further focus on procedural details and research on the second generation of BVS with novel properties did not allow to unequivocally challenge position of DES. Nevertheless, BVS still have a chance to present superiority in distinctive indications. This review presents an outlook on the available first and second generation BVS and a summary of results of clinical trials on their use. It discusses explanations for unfavorable outcomes, proposed enhancement techniques and a potential niche for the use of BVS.